By Harry Stoll

Wine, dine, and unwind where the river flows, food arrives, glasses clink and everything clicks. Humphrey’s on the Delta is a haven from screeching brakes, honking and sirens, as you hear the sirens sing, “Take me to the river.”

For that first date, charm her or him, arrive here, with the light bouncing off the river in daylight or darkness, singing, “Night and day, you are the one”— ocean-going ships going to and from the ocean, their prows sending a vee shoreward — massed masts of the sailboats in the neighboring marina — the islands always greener on the other side. The wood tables and paneled walls gleam with a heavenly ebony hue, and the table settings are first rate.

Many first dates here result in a marriage, often right here. The banquet room holds 300 guests in its capaciousness.

Or it could be with your steady date, old friends or new acquaintances. Or a family reunion. Or a corporate event, or a glass of wine at the full bar while you avoid thinking about what it all means, and enjoy the momentousness of the venue with the river at your door and the sun saying goodbye in the silky evening air enveloping you.

This grandly-appointed place, was built by William Pelusi, who is fond of cetaceans. He owns San Leandro’s Blue Dolphin and named Humphrey’s after the humpback whale that got lost from his pod and went up river, passing Antioch in 1985 and 1991. See a wood carving of Humphrey as you approach the door and other water creature sculptures on an interior wall.

Eva Romero and her family bought the restaurant in 1995. They leased it out with an option to buy in 2009, but are now back in the swim, only recently re-opening. Eva, son Beto and daughter Cindy run things, and they are ecstatic about their return.

Jesse Zuniga, center, and family enjoy Mother's Day Brunch at Humphrey's.

To herald their return, the Romeros guarantee you only mouth-watering dishes, treats, and specials to leave you craving more. The menu includes plenty of beef — prime rib, filet mignon, New York cuts — and you can cry fowl with a variety of seafood.

Hours: Monday through Thursdays from 11 a.m to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The parking is free in the generous-size lot. Humphrey’s on the Delta is at the Antioch Marina, 1 Marina Plaza, off of West Second Street near the scenic downtown. For lunch and dinner reservations call 925-778-5800. The Catering/Wedding Coordinator can be reached at 925-777-2065. The fax is 925-778-8304. E-mail humphreys.delta@yahoo.com or visit www.humphreys-antioch.com.

Local artist Evaline Webb, a former art teacher for the Antioch recreation department, who was well-known for her artworks depicting Antioch and surrounding areas in the 1970s-90s, will be honored in memoriam with an exhibit at the Lynn House Gallery, June 4th – 25th. A reception will be held on June 4th, from 2-4 PM. Both the exhibit and the reception are free.

Evaline had a great love for art and was well known for her watercolors. She was active in her community; she co-founded the Delta Art Association in Antioch and was an honorary life member of the PTA. Many of her works of art can be found in Antioch homes and businesses. Her distinctive style and her ability to capture local scenery made her artwork popular. She also created the Antioch Historical Society logo, which is still used today.

Included in the exhibit will be artworks from former Delta Art Association members, Shirley Smith Diethelm, Nordyn Anderson, Kirby, Celia Huddleston, Kathleen Henderson, and Frances Rodriquez.

The Lynn House Gallery, 809 West First Street, is located in the Rivertown District (downtown Antioch) and is open Wednesdays and Saturdays, 1-4 PM. For more information visit http://art4antioch.org/Evaline_Webb_2011.asp, email Diane@Art4Antioch.org or call (925) 325-9897.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) are widening Highway 4 through Pittsburg and Antioch. As part of this construction work, the contractor for the Loveridge Road project needs to close all lanes on eastbound State Route 4 at Loveridge Road for several hours in the early morning for approximately four more weeks.

The work began Monday, May 2, 2011 and was expected to continue through May 20, 2011. After completing two weeks of the work, it has been determined that the contractor will not be able to complete the work until mid-June. This work is to ensure public and crew safety while crews are working to install rebar cages for the bridge structure at Loveridge Road.

The highway closure is taking place Monday through Friday beginning at 12:30 a.m. and continuing to 5:30 a.m. Eastbound Highway 4 at the Loveridge Road undercrossing will be closed to all traffic. The detour will be as follows: motorists will be directed off the highway at Loveridge Road and immediately back on the highway at the eastbound on ramp from Loveridge Road. Work may be rescheduled if there is inclement weather.

During the same time, the loop on ramp to eastbound Highway 4 from southbound Loveridge Road will be closed as well. The detour for this closure will be as follows: motorists will drive south on Loveridge Road, turn left on Leland Road, continue on to Delta Fair Boulevard, turn left on Somersville Road, then right on to Highway 4 east.

Motorists are advised to expect delays and allow extra time for their commute. Please drive cautiously through the detour and leave a safe traveling distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you. Caltrans and CCTA appreciate your patience as we work to improve the highways.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) are widening State Route 4 (SR-4) through Pittsburg and Antioch. As part of this construction work, the contractor will be closing a portion of Century Boulevard in Pittsburg and Antioch where it crosses under SR-4 for approximately two months.

This closure will allow for widening of the bridge to accommodate the highway widening as well as eBART in the median.

The closure is expected to begin the week of May 23, 2011. During this phase of construction the undercrossing will be closed to all vehicular, bike, and pedestrian traffic. Detours will be in place with signs to direct traffic around the work site. Please see attached map for detours. The work is estimated to be completed by the end of July, 2011.

Life should always have such ‘problems.’ After the dust was settled on the recent Antioch Community Center build out at Prewett Park, 1.7 million dollars is left in the kitty. For that, thank the competitive bidding process in a moribund construction climate. $26 million was allocated but only $24 million spent. Next step, then, what to do with the windfall? For sure, we will work diligently to try and leverage the remainder with grants and matching corporate funds.

Count Antioch, by the way, as historically having hit bingo twice on Mello Roos construction. The bond payoff was originally projected to end by roughly 2026, but the first phase, the completion of Deer Valley High, Dallas Ranch and Black Diamond Middle, and five elementary schools met with both better than expected interest rates and likewise favorable state matching funds. Dallas Ranch, for example, a $29 million construction project, received 9.2 million dollars back from the state.

I am proud to say that I and the Board majority stuck to our fiscally prudent guns. It voted to use that manna from heaven returned for the schools not to do additional city projects at Prewett but, instead, to pay down the debt early, leaving a 2016 date. The question, with some, then arises as to why we don’t use this latest boon to even further accelerate the Bond payoff. Legalities and voter commitments step into the picture, though, and inhibit our overriding a mandate.

In 1989 the voters agreed to tax themselves on this special property tax.The commitment was to build the eight schools and to spend 50 million dollars on city capital improvement at Prewett. The City had a Master Plan that envisioned a water park, library, hiking trails, community center and so forth. It is the City Council decision what to build; the Mello-Roos Citizen Advisory Board merely has oversight over the allocated budget expenditures.

So where do we now sit? Unarguably, we’ve got 8 gorgeous schools, a water park and now the recent amphitheatre, city hall kiosk, community room, gymnasium, library annex, preschool classrooms, technology center, police substation, and burrowing owl habitat.

For perspective, let me share last week’s tour of a film crew from CBS-Channel 5. I am pleased to say the reception was enthusiastic. The reporter remarked on the natural beauty of the facility, which sublimely blends into the hills, and a liveliness which she expressed that she rarely sees at other community centers.

Indeed, Prewett was abuzz with activity that day and is already proving itself a valued community hub. As the real estate market starts to rebound, it is our hope that this civic touchstone will attract buyers to the area and positively affect prices.

Fact is, we have most of what was originally schemed. Granted, there is no lake or garden walking trails; nor is there, yet, the grand 30,000 square-foot library we hoped for. That, though, may be a blessing as staffing such a facility would have been a pickle given current times. As offset, we have built the facility so that potential add-on will be easy. When the state gets back on its feet they will invariably restart long deferred library construction, which, historically, they pay 2/3 costs of. Remember, we lost sponsoring by a hair’s breadth and should be next in line for funding come future go around.

Though we can’t dictate what to do with the money, the Mello-Roos Board eagerly wants to share citizen input with the City Fathers. To date, some ideas circulated include athletic turf fields, a BMX Park, doggie park, expanded library extension, electronic marquee, lazy river pool feature, and nature trails.

We intend to structure varied public feedback opportunities and welcome you to our next meeting July 11th, 7 p.m., at 510 G Street. You can also drop a note by City Hall or the Community Center or e-mail me at walter.ruehlig@gmail.com.

The Community Center adds another crown jewel to Antioch, alongside the likes of the Black Diamond Mines, San Joaquin River, El Campanil Theatre, and the Antioch Historical Museum. The next jewel in the tiara will be an occasion to further rejoice.

Walter Ruehlig
President, Antioch Mello Roos Citizen’s Advisory Board

Come Sunday, May 29th to 3351 Contra Loma Blvd., Antioch and join the St. Ignatius Antioch Church Fil-Am Society in celebrating the colorful Santacruzan. This most famous of Filipino festivals honors the Blessed Mother Mary and re-enacts the finding of the Holy Cross by St. Helena.

Celebrate a splendid Mass at 3 p.m., a grand procession at 4:15, followed by free and delicious cultural food and spirited entertainment. For information contact Clarita Perez at (925) 759-4488.

With budget cuts hitting hard in our ever so humble economy, there are hard decisions out there that need to be made. The toughest decision facing Deer Valley High is not whether they should have a bigger gym or a larger pool – it is whether they should have two principals or one.

Scott Bergerhouse has been nice enough to step up and say, “I understand that this is a budget year and I have faith in the school board that they will know what they were doing.” Scott is confident that they will make their decision not only based on the budget, but what will benefit the bigger picture of Deer Valley’s future.

According to many supporting parents of the two-principal model, Deer Valley has made tremendous progress since 2007 when Scott Bergerhouse and Clarence Isadore came on board. With over 2,700 students making up the student body, two principals just made sense. Campus authority became more visible and children felt safer and more eager to attend school, stay in class and care about their education.

By returning to a one-principal high school Deer Valley will face a transition in which the majority of the parents will be displeased with the decision, but when it comes to money there really is no other alternative.

While it is very important to maintain a system that works, it is also important to keep lights on and maintain the building that is being occupied by so many students. The decision is not easy and many factors will be taken into account to reach a final conclusion. Whether Deer Valley has one principal or two, the children’s safety and education will not be compromised.

According to Wendi Aghily, the CSEA Union has agreed to union concessions in order to work with the budget. This decision may be just what Antioch needs in these hard economic times.

Tami Berrera

In his first official visit to the Bay Area, newly appointed Philippine Ambassador to the United States, Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. (center), was welcomed by (L-R) Cynthia Ruehlig, Contra Costa County Board of Education Trustee, and Walter Ruehlig, Antioch Unified School District Trustee at a reception at the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco.

Ambassador Cuisia is soliciting support for “Save Our Industries Act” which will provide duty-free benefits for apparel products imported into the United States that have been manufactured in the Philippines using U.S. made fabrics.

Ambassador Cuisia asserted that The Save Act program would help both the U.S. textile industry and the Philippine apparel manufacturing industry by creating thousands of jobs and generating over a billion dollars in revenue for both countries. For more information, visit www.saveourindustriesact.org.